C-Note: March '08

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Dark Tower, Serenity and New Frontier along with the usual AAA comic book releases.

By Jesse Schedeen

At IGN we have millions of dollars to spend on comic books each month. Most of that goes into purchasing multiple copies of All-Star Batman & Robin and sealing each inside two mylar bags. Not everyone is as fortunate (or filthy rich) as us. For that reason, we've come up with a way to help out the less fortunate. No, not by giving you free comics (are you kidding?), but by helping you spend your limited resources on the best books of the coming month.

We'll assume that, at best, you have $100 to spend. We'll hit you up in increments of $20 (give or take) so that you can adjust your buying plans based on your personal cash flow. These are our recommendations for books that, as of publication, are expected to ship in March (which is why Ultimate Wolverine vs. Hulk is never listed).

The First $20

All-Star Superman #10 - DC - $Writer: Grant Morrison | Artist: Frank Quitely Finally. We've been waiting for the next issue of All-Star Superman ever since we turned the last page of issue #9. Not because of any earth-shattering cliffhanger, mind you. We just really, really love Grant Morrison's brilliant take on Superman. We don't even know what this issue is about precisely. Who cares? We're buying it, and you know you are too.

Captain America #36 - Marvel - $2.99Writer: Ed Brubaker | Artist: Steve Epting & Butch Guice There's a new Cap in town. Though he may be rougher around the edges than Steve Rogers, we've already fallen in love with Bucky Barnes' new role. This series has been on a massive roll for the past year, and it shows no signs of slowing down anytime soon. We can only guess what the next stage of Red Skull's devious plot against America will be. Maybe he'll finance another sequel to Step Up. Talk about evil.

The Dark Tower: The Long Road Home #1 - Marvel - $3.99Writer: Steven King, Robin Furth, & Peter David | Artist: Jae Lee The Dark Tower: The Gunslinger Born was our favorite mini-series of 2007. We even awarded it as such. The imminent arrival of a follow-up mini-series is cause for much celebration. Fans who haven't read the novels will be pleased that The Long Road Home picks up right where the first left off and continues the saga of Roland and his young fans. Longterm readers will be even more pleased to know that the sequel ventures into unfamiliar territory, providing new glimpses into Mid-World that were never in the novels at all.

Green Lantern #28 - DC - $2.99Writer: Geoff Johns | Artist: Mike McKone Green Lantern has pretty much cemented its reputation as the best regularly published superhero book at DC. Considering how many heroes have solo books these days, that's no small feat. Fresh off the high of Sinestro Corps, Geoff Johns has been adding new wrinkles to the Lantern mythos and quietly building towards the mysterious Blackest Night event. Get acquainted with the Alpha Lanterns now, because this isn't the last we'll be hearing from them this year.

Justice League: The New Frontier Special #1 - DC - $4.99Writer: Darwyn Cooke | Artist: Various Like most fans of Darwyn Cooke's New Frontier graphic novel, we couldn't help but watch the recent animated adaptation. Not bad, not bad. However, the best thing to come out of the project is a new 48-page special packed with new stories set in the New Frontier universe. In addition to a "lost chapter" from the original story, the special takes a closer look at side characters such as Black Canary and Sgt. Rock.

Thunderbolts #119 - Marvel - $2.99Writer: Warren Ellis | Artist: Mike Deodato, Jr. Another perennially late shipper, Thunderbolts nevertheless sits high on our list because it's just so darn good. Warren Ellis packs each issue with classic character moments and plenty of twists. However, the series would be nothing without the incredible moody and detailed pencils of Mike Deodato, Jr. Together, the duo are turning in some of the best work of their respective careers. It's easy to forget about Thunderbolts when it doesn't show up on the stands for months at a time, but that doesn't make it any less good.